Jim’s Plant of the Month:
This month’s jewels are Plumeria (frangipani) and
their relatives, the apocynaceae, or dogbane family, 
which includes
oleander, Allamanda, desert rose, confederate jasmine and Madagascar
palm. This family was recently combined with the asclepiadaceae, or milkweed
family, to include butterfly weed, Hoya, Stapelia (starfish
flower) and Stephanotis (Madagascar
jasmine). The relationship can easily be seen in the flowers and
seed pods. All
members of this big, happy family have 5-petaled flowers fused at the
base to form a cup or trumpet shape.* Most are fragrant,
though in the case of Stapelia,
the fragrance is attractive only to flies 
and carrion beetles! All have
elongated, oval seed pods that come to a point, filled with seeds attached to
silky filaments that are carried by the wind.This month I’m using mostly my own
photographs, since most of the Plumeria relatives are in full bloom at
the moment.
So far, every plant from this family that I’ve noticed
growing here is very happy in the climate and soil of coastal Florida.
They are all relatively care-free, and most are drought tolerant (an important
consideration right now!). Most provide several months of bloom and fragrance.
The only negative that comes to mind is toxicity – as far as I know, all
members of this family are poisonous, although Hoodia gordonii extract
is now being sold as an appetite supressant for weight loss.
Plumeria, of course, is one of the 
easiest
plants to grow here, since all you have to do is break off a branch and stick
it in the ground. You will have the best chance of success, though, with
branches larger than 8” long, and should let them callous in a dry, shady spot
for 1-3 weeks before putting them in soil. The leaves tend to get covered with
a fungal rust late in the summer, which can be treated with powdered sulfur or
liquid copper spray – or you can just wait for them to fall off for the winter!
Confederate jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) is
a great 
vine for covering a fence or arbor, and will give you 3 months of
delicious fragrance. Stephanotis flowers are equally fragrant, but much
larger and showier. Allamanda is a much shorter growing vine, and not
fragrant, but will provide color for a much longer season. The various species
of butterfly weed, or milkweed (Asclepias spp.), are care-free plants
that will seed themselves all over your butterfly garden. Oleander, equally
care-free, makes a great hedge or foundation plant that blooms most of the
year, and requires only a little annual pruning.
My new favorite milkweed relative is 
Cryptostegia grandiflora, the purple allamanda or rubber vine. It has
gorgeous lavender flowers over a long season and grows easily from seed, up to
15’ long. It requires full sun or partial shade and consistently moist, rich
soil. I’ve put 3 in the raffle since fall. Look for more this summer!
*Spanish jasmine (Jasminum polyanthum) and other true
jasmines belong to the olive family, as seen in their 4-petaled flowers.
President: Jim Nevers, president@rakesandbladesfl.com
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Photographer: Brad Hissing, photos@rakesandbladesfl.com
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Brian Cahill, programs@rakesandbladesfl.com
Host Coordinators:
Ann Allen, Marty Volpe, hosting@rakesandbladesfl.com
Potluck Committee:
Marty Volpe, Stan Trimmer, Scott Hoffman
potluck@rakesandbladesfl.com
